64 YALENTYN'S DESCRIPTION OF MALACCA. 



they thought it more advisable to elect a King ( and such the more 

 while they had greatly increased, whilst still heathens) which first 

 King had the name of Sibi Tooei Bowana^ 1 ) This Prince has ruled 

 them 4S years, and pretended to be a descendant of Alexander the 

 Great, to whom Demang Laibur Dawang ( 2 ) (who then ruled the 

 Malays as a Prince of less fame) resigned his sway, in considera- 

 tion of his illustrious lineage and while he was a descendant of 

 such a renowned Prince ; this happened in about 1160 a.c ( or 

 some years before). 



The Malays crossed under this Prince (Sibi Toori BowAna) from 

 the island of Sumatra to the opposite shore, now the Malay Coast, and 

 more especially to its North-East point, known as " Oedjong TanaJi," 

 that is, " the extremity of the country," and known among geogra- 

 phers as "Zirbaad" which means in Persian "below wind" (to 

 leeward), hence receiving a long time afterwards also the new 

 name of " the people below wind " ( to leeward ), or else " Easter- 

 lings " (above all the other nations in -the East), from this 

 so-called promontory where they had settled again, the same 

 name having been given afterwards also to some of their 

 neighbours or other Easterlings. This country has generally been 

 known since that time by the name of " Tanah Malayu," i.e., "the 

 Malay territory " or else " the Malay Coast," comprising in a 

 larger sense all the country from that very point or from the 

 2nd degree till the 11th degree North latitude and till Tenasse- 

 rim, though, taking it in a more limited sense, only that country 

 is understood, which now belongs under the governorship and juris- 

 diction of Malacca and its environs ; they are also considered above 

 all the real and original Malays and they are, therefore, also called 

 " Orang Malay u," i.e., the Malays, whilst all the other Malays, 

 either closely or far off, as those of Patani, Pahang, Peirah, 

 Keidah, Djohor, Bintam, ( 3 ) Lingga, Gampar, ( 4 ) Haru, and 

 others in this same country or on the islands of Bintang( 5 ) 



O ) " Sri Tribuana" and il Sri Trib'huvena" — Malay Annals, Leyden. But 

 Ceawfued accepts "SriTuri Buana," and on the authority of Professor Wilson 

 gives "Illustrious Turi tree of the world" as the meaning. His first name was 

 " Sang Saperba." 



( 2 ) Lebar Daun. " Demang " a Chief (Javanese). — " Demang Lebar 

 Daun"— " Chieftain Broad Leaf." 



(3) Batam or Batang Island lying between Bentan and Bulang? orBentan? 

 (*) Kampar, river and country of that name in Sumatra lying between 



the Siak and Indragiri rivers. 



( 5 ) Bentan, the island lying E. by S. of Singapore, on which is a prominent 

 hill visible from Singapore, and alongside of which on the W. side of it, lies 

 Pulau Penyingat, the site of Riau (Rhio). 



